5 Snacks That Fit Your Macros
Don’t let snacks kill your macros, plan ahead and keep it simple. This will keep you on track and keep you from crashing halfway through the day from poor food choices.
The afternoon crash is one of the most dreaded parts of the day for most people. What
most people don’t know is that this is something that can easily be preventable, simply
based off of the foods they eat. In addition to the foods that we eat, what we drink also
plays a big role in how we feel throughout the day. Avoiding the afternoon crash can be
as simple as eating something with good nutritional value every 3-4 hours, or trying to
consume at least 1-2 cups of water an hour.
The main causes of afternoon crashes are because of either an unbalanced lunch,
stress, or blood sugar imbalances. Unbalanced lunches are one of the most common
problems that lead to the afternoon crash. Many lunches are high in carbohydrates and
low in fats and protein. Carbohydrates tend to burn off rather quickly and this gives our
bodies nothing else to run off of once it burns through the carbohydrates. Stress plays
hand in hand with our unbalanced lunches, because stress usually causes us to make
poor food choices that don’t help us out nutritionally. Finally, blood sugar imbalances
can be caused by the poor food choices we make at lunch time. When we consume a
high amount of carbohydrates this can cause our blood glucose levels to spike after
consumption. After the carbohydrates are burned off that causes our blood glucose
levels to drop, which ultimately leaves us feeling exhausted. This is why we usually find
ourselves craving something with a lot of sugar during the afternoon.
Good nutrition is something that can help eliminate these problems. Big changes don’t
have to be made, just small and simple steps are all it takes. This means avoiding
things such as caffeinated sugary drinks, as well as foods high in sugar and refined
simple carbohydrates. Instead we should try and add foods high in fats and proteins
instead. This will help give our bodies the fuel they need to give us long, sustained
energy.
Here are some quick and healthy options for snacks that can help you avoid that crash and not kill your macros.
1) Apple with Almond Butter
1 apple
2 tbsp. almond butter
Nutrition Facts:
18 g fat
31 g carbs
7 g protein
7.5 g fiber
2) Veggies Dipped in Hummus
1 red bell pepper
½ stalk of celery
½ cup baby carrots
2 oz hummus
Nutrition Facts:
200 calories
11.5 g fat
20.5 g carbohydrates
6 g protein
7 g fiber
3) Greek Yogurt with Almonds
½ cup Greek yogurt
1 oz almonds
Nutrition Facts:
264 calories
15 g fat
11.5 g carbohydrates
23 g protein
3 g fiber
4) Banana with Peanut Butter
1 banana
1 tbsp peanut butter
Nutrition Facts:
195 calories
8 g fat
26 g carbohydrates
5 g protein
5) Tuna with Triscuit Whole Grain Crackers
1 serving Triscuit whole grain crackers
1 tuna packet (2.6oz)
Nutrition Facts:
130 calories
1.5 g fat
14 g carbohydrates
20 g protein
5 g fiber
Schedule a call with one of our coaches today to talk more about your health and fitness goals. We would love to help!